New PC is Unstable

[chetmaster12]

So I recently built a new PC, here are the specs:

Intel Core i5-4460
Asrock H97M Anniversary
G.Skill Ripjaws X series 4GB 1x4GB
Saphire Radeon r7-260X
Antec High-Current Gamer 620W
WD Blue 1TB

I installed Linux (Multiple Distros), and I have noticed that the system is not very reliable. For one thing, web browsers crash frequently (ESPECIALLY Firefox). Steam games crash sometimes, and Minecraft crashes as well. Then when I restart, Minecraft will start just fine. This happens across all of the distros that I tried (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kubuntu, Elementary OS). Also, when installing Linux, I always hit the error of copying files, and it thinks that my installation medium is defective, or that I have a bad HDD. I tried other HDDs, they are the same.

I was wondering if I had a RAM issue. I have read that the issue with the installation can be caused by bad RAM, and I know that Firefox is very RAM intensive. Unfortunately I don't have any DDR3 modules around to test with (Plenty of laptop RAM, no desktop RAM).


Does this sound like a RAM issue?

 

[random stalker]

dunno... run memtest86 for a while and we'll see more

 

[chetmaster12]

Running it right now, and I am near the end of pass 2, with 118830 errors. I have no idea how to interpret the data from MemTest86, but that does not sound good.

 

[random stalker]

well. I'd try to reseat the ram and/or try to change the slot the ram is plugged in (intel cpus can be a little bit picky)...

 

[chetmaster12]

I reseated the RAM in a different slot and it made no difference.

 

[chetmaster12]

Replaced the RAM (used this opportunity to upgrade to 8GB), and it solved the problem. I still recomend G.Skill, as I have used their RAM several times and it has always been good. I will respect the fact that every so often, a bad stick will get past QC. This could have just as easily happened to Crucial or Corsair.
I think that what people reading this should take from this is that these symptoms might be RAM related.


By the way, I didn't get the Vengeance RAM because I may install a big heatsink at some point, and Vengeance has super big heatsinks.